3. Generous Elaine Magliaro http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-11-03T15%3A01%3A00-05%3A00 interviewed legendary poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins, and also offered a chance for anyone to pose questions. Not only did we get answers, but one lucky participant, which turned out to be me, won one of Lee’s books. I blogged about Sharing the Seasons, and will be happy to have an inscribed copy of this anthology. Here’s a picture of Elaine and Lee from the NCTE convention last year.

4. The students in my writing class at the Art Studio http://www.art-studio.org/ make me smile. Josh with his enthusiasm for haiku in its myriad forms. Emily with her sweetness and slanting rhymes. Simone’s homage to the wreck of a Barbie doll. Rachel’s passion for self expression, even by way of zombies. Jean-Marc’s sense of direction: my guess is he plays chess. Ian’s determination to get things right. Here are a few of the questions they thought good to ask of their characters: Do you have more of a nice side? How does your mind work? If you had only 24 hours left to live, what would you do? Would you kill someone for one million? Did you get me a present? Have you forgiven yourself for what you’ve done?

5. I’m thankful for plain old moving forward with the writing. Not to say there aren’t twists and turns and moving backwards. But words are stacking up in their slow un-showy way, and I don’t take the muse, who I know can be fickle or finicky, for granted.

I just came over from Sara’s an had to tell you how much I love the premise of BORROWED NAMES! I am a big Laura Ingalls fan and have written my own verse novel, MAY B., in the spirit of Laura.
Must ask my library to buy a copy.
Caroline Starr Rose

Thank you for coming over from Sara’s and for asking your library to get a copy of Borrowed Names. A verse novel dedicated to Laura sounds great — good luck with that. I like how you have two important Ingalls-Wilder family names in your name: that has to bring good luck!

Yes, picture books and poetry have a lot in common. Every word and sound has got to count. Lucky you to immerse yourself in Billy Collins, where you can get little stories, too. Hope you a great retreat!